I'd Die for You
by JustDrinkTea
Summary: Arthur would do anything for Alfred. And it looks like he might just have to. After leaving a secret organization several years ago, he was sure he was through with Ivan and the others. He was wrong. And now Alfred has to face them as well.
1. Chapter 1

"C'mon, Brows. Just one last job."

"For the last time, I refuse."

"Bruder-"

"Shut up, West, I got this!"

Gilbert turned his attention back from his brother and focused back on Arthur, ignoring the obvious glare that Ludwig shot his way. "You can't just walk out on us. It's not that easy."

"Yes," replied Arthur, sounding more irritated than anything, "I've become aware of this." His back was up against the slimy, dirty wall of some abandoned alley downtown, Gilbert's hands on either side of his head- pressed up against the wall. If there was anything going through the Brit's mind, it was either a complaint of how disgusting his back was getting, or how cliche the entire set-up was.

The albino didn't look pleased with the smart-ass response. He moved one of his hands to his waist, grabbing a sleek pistol and pressing the barrel up against the blond's temple. "I could just shoot you, you know."

"Ah yes. But why kill one of your most valuable assets? Ivan won't take too kindly to that, you know."

"You're not a fucking 'asset' anymore if you don't cooperate."

Arthur shrugged, the rough words having no effect on him. "Go on, then. Kill me if you wish." He smirked. "But good luck finding a replacement."

"We're gonna have to get a replacement anyway! You're not going to do it!"

The Brit thought about this for a moment. Or perhaps he only pretended to think about it before responding. "Ah, yes. But as you know," his eyes narrowed, the smirk remaining in place, "Ivan only accepts the best." He leaned forward closer to the albino and whispered, "And I'm the best, aren't I?"

No response.

"That's why you two have been trailing after me for the past week." Again, when no response was given, Arthur gently pushed Gilbert away from him, the man putting up no resistance.

"Well," The Brit continued, turning his back on the two and starting to walk away, "good hunting, and farewell."

"Wait a minute!" Gilbert yelled suddenly.

Arthur looked back over his shoulder, raising his eyebrows as if expecting the other to say something good.

"Don't think we won't find a way. We'll get you, Brows. One way or another." His menacing, red eyes narrowed dangerously, his gaze trying to tear apart Arthur's entire being.

The Englishman smiled. "I have no doubt in my mind." And just like that, he walked away.

"That brat," Gilbert hissed as soon as Arthur was out of sight. "He's playing with us."

"Of course he is," Ludwig agreed. "What else would you expect of him?"

"Nothing less. Not from Kirkland." The elder shook his head, his eyes still trained on the spot where Arthur had been. "Nothing less."

* * *

><p>"Arthur! Dude, you're late!"<p>

Arthur took a seat on the old, wooden park bench next to his rather obnoxious, rather American friend. "I'm aware of this, Alfred. I had to stop by my house and change. Some idiot spilled coffe on my shirt on the way here." Lies. Alfred was foolish enough to believe them and Arthur was smooth and collected enough to master the art.

Alfred took a bite of his hamburger. He always seemed to have one for lunch. "Sucks, man," he said before swallowing- much to Arthur's displeasure. "You should've called me. I was starting to worry you weren't gonna come!"

"I come everyday, don't I?"

"Well, yeah, but..."

"Then there's no problem."

"But what if you found someone else to hang out with?"

Arthur looked at the other like he was an idiot- he tended to do that a lot. "Like who?"

The American stopped and thought about it for a moment, going over the list of other people that Arthur might like more than him. "I don't know!" he responded finally. "Just, people..."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Convincing and insightful as always, Alfred."

Alfred pouted, looking at the other with his signature puppy-dog eyes. They didn't always work on the Brit, but when they did, it was a most effective attack to get what he wanted.

"...what?" This was not one of those times.

"Oh come on!" Alfred immideatly dropped the look as soon as he realized it wasn't going to work. "You know what I want!"

And Arthur _did_ know what he wanted. But he also knew that it wasn't the best action to perform in public in a society that didn't always accept their beliefs, no matter how small the action was. "Not now, Alfred."

"Pleeeeeease~?" The American, however, never seemed to fully understand this concept. He threw his arms around the stubborn man and pulled him close, nuzzling his cheek in that soft, blond hair.

Arthur made an attempt to push the other off him. "I said no! You can wait!"

"Just one little kiss! That's all I want, Artie!"

"I said no!"

"How about one on the cheek?"

"_No_!"

"Forehead?"

"I'm not going to say it again!"

"But I love you, Arthur!"

So maybe they were a little more than friends.

"N-not so loud, you idiot!" Arthur sputtered, his cheeks growing pink. He'd always been one to blush.

Alfred ignored him. "In fact, I love you so much, I'd become a eunich if I had to!"

"_ALFRED._" Arthur hissed.

"On second thought, let's not do that. Then we don't get sex."

"Alfred, shut up!"

"But I guess it wouldn't be so bad if you top-"

It was at that point that the Brit finally clapped his hands over that loud-mouth, his cheeks a feverish red, but whether it was from anger, emberressment, or some combination of the two, Alfred was unsure. "Shut. Up_. Now_."

Alfred pouted again, but nodded reluctantly.

"Good," Arthur said, taking his hands away and crossing his arms.

The American was silent for a moment before he quickly pressed a kiss to the Brit's head.

Arthur pretty much had a spazz attack.

* * *

><p>"That's it, bruder. That's how we're going to get Brows back." Gilbert said quietly, watching the scene from high up in a tree, hidden to everything except Ludwig.<p>

"What? That guy?"

"Yeah, Albert or whatever his name is."

"Alfred."

"Does it matter?" The albino glanced at his brother and grinned wide before turning his gaze back to the quarreling men. "He's our ticket. Arthur's gonna do that spell for us if it kills him. And it just might."

**A/N: Hey-o. I was attacked. By a plot bunny. -shrugs- It happens. I can't say that it's a fully developed plot yet (maybe that bunny was a little coo-coo in the head, ya know?), but I have a general idea of where I want it to go.**

**And hopefully I'll be able to get another update in this week. I'm doing literally nothing in my web design class now this week since I finished up all my projects early. So I'll be hanging here~ Tell me what ya think about this, okay, guys?**

_So mystical! So magical! The review may just take you to Narnia! ...or maybe not._


	2. Chapter 2

_"Try this one, Ahen. It's very effective."_

_"Is it as good as the opium?"_

_"Yes. Some might even say better, aru."_

_"Didn't Ivan ban drug usage in this organization?"_

_"What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Besides, you're the one who got me into this, aru. Take some and we'll share the blame if we're caught. It's the least you can do, aru."_

_"I suppose you're right. Hand it over."_

Arthur woke with a start, sitting up suddenly. He looked around the room, sighing in relief as he buried his face in his hands. "It was all just a dream..." he muttered to himself. "That's all, Kirkland. A bad memory." And yet he could almost taste the staleness of the drugs on his tongue. He grimaced, raising his head up again.

He looked to the silent lump beside him, his grimace turning to a very small smile. He watched as the blanket rose and fell with the other's chest, his breathing deep and slow. Alfred was so much more peaceful in his sleep.

Carefully, the Brit swung his legs over the edge of the bed, letting them dangle there for a moment before sliding off the mattress. He wore nothing but his boxers and an oversized, light blue nightshirt- the sleeping American wearing the matching bottoms. Arthur huffed, pushing the sleeves up past his elbows as he slipped out of the room, making his way to the kitchen. He navigated the hallways easily enough- he'd been over to the house enough times to know his way around.

The Englishman opened the window, hoping the fresh air would help him calm down. He then grabbed a glass from the cupboard, filling it with water from the tap, and raising it to his lips.

It'd been years since he'd participated in any sort of drug or drug dealings. But the memories were still fresh, still easily accessible- even when Arthur didn't want to access them. He drained the glass quickly, washing away the horrid taste in his mouth. He let out a slow breath, pressing the cool glass against his forehead as he leaned back against the counter.

"This isn't over," he whispered, his eyes narrow slits. "I'll have to play this game through to the end, it seems." He set the glass down in the sink- among several other dirty dishes. The man smirked suddenly. "But we'll see who has the checkmate, eh, Gilbert?"

As if in response, the tree outside the kitchen window rustled slightly, the others surrounding it remaining perfectly still.

"That's right," Arthur continued. "Go and tell Ivan he'll have to do better than two Germans following after me all the time."

Again the tree shuddered. Arthur imagined the string of curses coming from the Prussian's mouth, making him smirk yet again. "Now go on. My final answer is 'no'. I thought I made that clear." He slammed the window shut as if finalizing his answer.

Letting out a slow breath through his teeth, he willed himself to calm down. The green-illuminated clock on the oven caught the man's eye. 5:30 a.m. "I think I could do with a couple more hours of sleep..."

* * *

><p>"So, what you are telling me is that you have a plan to get him back, da?"<p>

"Ja, but it'll require more than the two of us."

Ivan thought for a moment, staring intently at the two brothers. He leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in front of him before crossing his ankles and setting his feet on the wooden desk in front of him. "Who would you need?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Before Gilbert could open his mouth, Ludwig answered, not wanting his brother to say something stupid. "We would require Kiku, Li, and Yao." (A/N: Li is Hong Kong. I decided that name on a whim. So if you don't really like it, sorry. But he's not a big part of the plot, so don't worry.)

"Elaborate."

This time, Gilbert had the quicker tongue. "We need a distraction for Brows, a cover, and a quick snatch to grab his boyfriend."

Ludwig glared at the albino before turning back to Ivan. "Yes, that's the gist of the plan. If we..." He trailed off, the Russian's hand held up in a sign of silence.

"That will be all," Ivan said in his accented voice. "I grant you permission. Tell those three I will be sending them with you. When is it you will be carrying out your plan?"

Gilbert grinned. "In exactly 12 hours."

* * *

><p>Arthur stumbled behind Alfred, his wrist entrapped by the American's strong hand. "Alfred! Slow down a little! I can't run as fast as you can!"<p>

"Yeah, but we have to hurry! That ice cream stand closes at nine!"

The Brit rolled his eyes. "We could just get some from the store, you know."

Alfred turned back to face the other, his usual face-consuming grin in place. "But this ice cream is really good~ And it's no fun going to the store to buy ice cream!"

"It can't be that great if it only closes at nine..." he muttered in response.

"Just on Mondays!"

"Whatever, just get your ice cream and then..." Arthur paused, pulling his wrist from the other's grasp.

Alfred slowed until he came to a stop. "Arthur? What's wrong?"

The Brit was too far gone in his own thoughts to respond. He felt the color drain from his face, biting his bottom lip in slight panic. There was no doubting that smell in the air.

Opium.

There was only a select handful of people who had the skills and connections to get their hands on that specific drug. And only a small percentage of those people were brave- or foolish- enough to smoke it anywhere other than their basements. And Arthur knew just one of those people.

Without glancing back at Alfred, the man took off running. _It can't be him. He told me he was leaving them all as well...!_

"Ah! Hey, Arthur!" After a moment of confusion-induced paralysis, the American started running after the Englishman, surprised he could run so fast.

Arthur, on the other hand, took it upon himself to take the most difficult route possible- jumping over any low bushes, climbing over the row of benches blocking his way, weaving through people and trees; anything he could do to lose the other. Years of harsh training had his body well-equipped for the agility and speed he needed until he was sure that Alfred wouldn't be able to catch up. He slowed his pace, panting hard as he walked through the system of back alleyways the scent had led him to. The growing smell was almost enough to make him gag now- he was close.

"Ni hao," a smooth voice suddenly said.

Arthur spun around quickly, finding himself face-to-face with his old partner. "...hello, Yao. Is that opium I smell?"

Yao smiled, though it wasn't a welcoming smile. Not in the least. "Of course. But none for you, Ahen." He threw the remains of the rice paper onto the ground, stomping out the drug with his shoe. He leaned up against the brick wall, crossing his arms.

The Brit watched the display silently, swallowing hard to help regain his composure. "I see that. Still sporting the red ties, I see."

The small man tightened said tie. For as long as Arthur had known him, he had always dressed in three colors, and three colors only. He either dressed himself in all white or all black, but there had always been a splash of red. Either the man chose to wear his traditional clothing, or hand-tailored suits. That particular night, Yao had chosen his black suit. "Not much has changed since you left, aru. Of course, you need to come back now."

"Yao, what happened? You swore to me you'd leave," Arthur stated coolly in an attempt to change the subject.

The Chinese shrugged. "Things change. ...brothers join the organization."

"That can't be all."

"Maybe it is. Maybe it isn't. Either way, I'm not the one Ivan's concerned about, aru."

"For the last time, my answer is n-"

"Arthur?"

The blond's head whipped around, his composure slipping away once he saw Alfred standing at the end of the alley.

Yao smiled. "Right on time, aru."

Arthur turned back to face him slowly. "Yao, what's going on?"

Instead of giving the answer he knew the other wanted, the short male stood straight, and away from the wall. He raised a hand into the air and snapped. Just once, but it was so clear and loud, the sound could be heard throughout the entire system of alleys.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, as soon as Arthur was about to call out to Alfred, a man clad in all black dropped in front of him, forcing the Briton's attention to a nearby fire escape where another, younger looking figure stood, holding several sticks of what appeared to be dynamite.

But as soon as the fuses were lit, and the sticks thrown onto the ground, Arthur soon realized that they were smoke bombs. As the smoke rolled toward him, the mysterious man in front of him dashed forward into the smoke.

It didn't take Arthur long to figure it all out.

"Alfred!" He lunged forward, trying to follow after the other, only to be stopped by a surprisingly strong pair of arms wrapped underneath his arms. "Let me go! Alfred! Yao, let me go!" He struggled, pulling against the man's hold. The smoke rolled in towards them, limiting his visibility until he could no longer see.

"Xiōngdì," said a quiet, non-emotive voice near him. "Let's go."

(A/N: Xiōngdì = brother)

The Brit was suddenly released, sending him stumbling forward into the cloud of gray. "Alfred?" He walked through, hands stretched out in front of him. "Alfred, answer me, dammit!"

The lack of response wasn't at all comforting.

"Alfred! No, no no... Alfred!"

As the smoke cleared, his heart dropped- the man's deepest fear confirmed.

Alfred was gone.

**A/N: DUN DUN DUN. Well, it took forever, but that's alright. This chapter is about twice as long as what my updates usually are. I still don't really know where this plot is going, but I think I'm starting to get an idea.**

**I had to do a little bit of research concerning how one smokes opium. Apparently, one of the most common techniques was to wrap the drug in rice paper and then smoke. Honestly, I was a bit concerned while looking this information up because I was in the same room as my parents. OH WELL. **

**On another note, I really enjoy writing Yao like this. He's all suave and stuff. CB**

_Click the review button. It will make__me want to write more~_


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